Iran offers to reopen Hormuz and resume nuclear talks within a week
Iran's foreign minister said the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and nuclear negotiations restarted in seven days if the United States meets conditions outlined in a prior memorandum.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and nuclear talks with the United States would resume within seven days, provided the U.S. fulfills a set of conditions. He said the demands are the same as those contained in the June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a cease-fire agreement that collapsed in early July.
The proposal follows President Masoud Pezeshkian's comments that the United States must decide whether to end the seven-month conflict with Tehran. Pezeshkian told Fox News the decision rests with America and emphasized that Iran is not at war with Saudi Arabia, noting that the Houthi attacks are their own responsibility.
Saudi authorities reported a fresh wave of Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saudi targets on Friday, intercepting six ballistic missiles and issuing emergency alerts in Mecca, Jeddah and Yanbu. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan plan an urgent chiefs-of-staff meeting under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement to discuss a coordinated response.
Oil markets reacted modestly, with Brent crude futures down 1 % to $105.56 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures down 1.8 % to $92.94.
The diplomatic backdrop includes the ongoing U.S.–China summit in Washington, where President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump are discussing, among other issues, the Middle-East situation. China's Middle-East envoy Zhai Jun said the leaders' consensus could be critical for de-escalating the region.